


One at a time

by shipintheisland



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Alex podium Alex podium ALEX PODIUM, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sort Of, sad george :(
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:28:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26492656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shipintheisland/pseuds/shipintheisland
Summary: Running on the paddock to get on time to see Alex getting his first ever podium, Lando has trouble dragging a very reluctant and defeated George with him...
Relationships: Alexander Albon/George Russell, Lando Norris/Carlos Sainz Jr
Comments: 6
Kudos: 98





	One at a time

**Author's Note:**

> Took me two full days to write that little thing but I like it so here we go, sad times for George fans 😭

Getting out of the car, Lando lets his mechanics pat his back and they all congratulate each other for a quite good race, but all he wants is to see Carlos before rushing to the podium. He hurries up to the back of the garage where Carlos is waiting for him, looking tired and disappointed but still a smile forms on his lips when he spots his younger teammate.

"There you are" the Spaniard muffles through his mask as he grabs Lando by the arm to drag him in a short hug. It barely lasts a couple second but Lando closes his eyes and appreciates the moment the best he can before taking a step back, not wanting to drag any journalist’s attention to them. Any comforting cuddles and more will have to wait tonight, away from the prying eyes of the public.

"I’m so tired" Lando whines, dramatically yawning to prove his point.

"It was a very long race indeed" Carlos hums, absentmindedly running his hand on Lando’s arm. Shivering at the contact, Lando’s eyes suddenly open widely at the sight of a discreet brace around the older man’s wrist, under the sleeve of his team shirt.

"What-"

"Is okay !" Carlos interrupts him, chuckling to reassure his teammate, "I just hit my arm a little during the crash, is not bad don’t worry."

Lando quickly scans the other’s face to look for any trace of a lie, and finding none he sighs, relieved, and nods with a smile.

"You should hurry up, they’re starting the interviews, the podium will be soon." Carlos says as he points at one of the TVs in the garage, and when Lando swiftly turns around and sees they are indeed interviewing Valtteri already, he lets out a high-pitched squeal and dashes out of the garage in a "wait for me before leaving !"

He runs as fast as possible, slaloming between all the team members accumulating on his way (and loudly apologizing every time he slams in someone’s shoulder) until he arrives in front of the Williams garage. Not daring to enter without authorization and shying away from asking the mechanics to come in, the small Brit scans around the room for a familiar face, and his eyes light up when he spots the broad figure of Nicholas in the back.

"Nicky !" He calls and waves widely until the Canadian notices and gestures for him to come closer. Lando obliges happily and jumps next to the taller driver with a bright smile.

"Nicky !" He greets excitedly, still in his rush to go see the podium, and the Williams driver nods in return, a smile noticeable despite the dark blue mask he is wearing. "Where’s George ? I wanna go see Alex with him, he’s not already gone right ?"

At the question, the relaxed attitude of Nicholas falters and his eyes shoot a anxious look to the drivers’ rooms behind the garage, making Lando still on spot.

"Well..."

Lando shifts on his feet, trying to get a better look toward the open door but George is not visible from there. Intrigued, he raises an eyebrow at Nicholas.

"He... he missed out on the points and now he doesn’t want to talk to anyone, so yeah. Not sure he’ll go to the podium." Nicky explains, shrugging but still looking quite worried and Lando starts fidgeting with the hem of his sleeves. He makes a move toward George’s room, and when the Canadian nods to confirm it’s okay for him to go, Lando walks slowly toward the door, stopping on the edge.

He has known George for years now, they have been racing against each other for so long and spent so much time together that he knows how George reacts to anything racing related. He saw him dance around his garages after his first win in f2, slam the door on his and Alex’s face after a DNF, show a fake PR trained smile at journalists after only finishing on the second step of a podium. He saw him getting increasingly mad after every race since they landed in F1, his hopes shattering more and more until he just didn’t want to talk about missing the points from afar at every passing weekend. Lando is sure even Alex hasn’t been able to reach out to that part of the Williams driver, and now they would only get a short answer like ‘don’t worry guys, my time will come’, or ‘Claire has a plan, we’ll get better soon’.

So Lando knows that today, after getting so close to the simple relief of getting a single point, and with his biggest supporter Claire Williams definitely out of the game, George passed up the mood for childishly slamming doors at his friends. So he is not really surprised when, after knocking once on the door, a notebook is violently thrown at his face.

"I said leave me alone Nicholas ! Don’t you understand basic English ?!" George yells at him and Lando takes a step back, eyes wife as he turns his head toward the named culprit who just raises his hands defensively. ‘Amateur’ the younger man thinks, Nicky will need to learn quickly that an angry George is to be cared about very very carefully. A shirt glance at a nearby TV shows him the podium ceremony is about to start and he bites his lower lip, he doesn’t want to be late. It’s not everyday one of your best friends could show his whole team his worth by getting his much awaited first podium. He takes a deep breath, and steps back in George’s room carefully.

"George ?" Lando calls softly, and his heart breaks a little at the sight of his friend curled up on himself on the floor, back against the opposite wall. His helmet has been hastily discarded nearby, one glove is resting on the small couch while the other is getting tortured in the tall driver’s hands whose jointures are turning white with the force of his grip on the material. Hearing the new voice, George lifts his head up from his knees, mouth shut in a tight line and eyes reddened by what Lando knows are nervous rubs of frustration and not tears threatening to spill out. George doesn’t cry for that, crying was for the first times his races disappointed him. Lando would have preferred if he cried, because now George looks properly pissed and there is nothing he can do about it. So he tries the only thing that usually works : getting George’s attention on Alex.

"The podium will start any minute now, you’re co-"

"No." George cuts him, voice so low Lando barely heard it.

"But-"

"I said no, are you deaf ?"

For a few seconds, they both stay in place, George still looking furious and Lando slightly shook by his older friend’s reaction, but a simple shake of his head puts his thoughts back in place and he retorts in a growl.

"No need to get moody on me, but Alex is surely looking for us in the crowd right now."

George’s eyes double in size in an instant, as if he suddenly remembers that his boyfriend just got his first ever podium in F1 after months of sleepless nights and pressured race weekends. At least, he has the decency to now look slightly guilty for his attitude, but as Lando takes a quick look at the TVs out of the room, he curses under his breath : the podium ceremony has already started, and he can see Alex stepping out and wave at the small crown down the podium platform. Lando needs to go, and he needs to go now, whether George has calmed down or not.

"Listen," he starts calmly, finally getting the taller Brit’s full attention, "I know it’s hard for you, I get it and I’ll be there for you when you need it, but right now it’s Alex’s moment and he needs us more than anything, you know just like me that the pseudo smiles from a team that doesn’t respect him is not the kind of support he needs and deserves for that moment. I’m going now, either you’re joining or you stay here."

He starts moving toward the exit, throwing one last glance toward his friend. George starts moving, a hand on the floor like he’s ready to get up but he freezes, shakes his head and takes back his former position, head on his knees. He doesn’t even look when Lando sighs heavily and states as compassionately as he can in his hurry.

"He will understand."

And with that he gets out of the Williams garage, trotting away to the podium ceremony. He can hear the commentators calling Lewis’ name already so he pushes through the team members on his way and arrives at his destination right when the English anthem starts.

Lando can see Alex perfectly, the Thai smiling widely behind his mask and looking down to the Red Bull team with a hopeful look and Lando feels happy for him. With the shortened season, the back-to-back races, the aggravating problems with his car and Max’s clear and obvious favorite treatment, Alex got it hard since they started racing again and the pressure Red Bull has been putting him under pained him more than he was already able to admit to Lando and George. So to see him up there, looking so relieved and happy despite the very long race, it warms Lando’s heart. When he noticed Alex looking around in the crowd, he knows his friend is looking for his two favorite companions so Lando moves a little from his spot to get noticed more easily. Their eyes meet and it’s easy to see how Alex’s whole face light up at the sight of his shorter friend. However, as the Thai’s eyes move around Lando, he immediately deflates when he understands that his boyfriend didn’t join. Lando wants so bad to tell him it’s not his fault, that he can enjoy this moment and George will join him later, but he is way too far, he can’t do anything but ignore the small feeling of helplessness. So he keeps his eyes on Alex, raises his hands in a double thumb up and smiles big enough for Alex to see it despite the mask and the distance. It’s effective, and Lando sighs happily when the anthem changes to the German one as Alex keeps looking pleased and happy.

As they get through the music, Lando quickly notices how Alex suddenly straightens his back and smiles more than ever, not looking at him anymore but at a point behind him. Before he has the time to turn around, a tall figure steps next to him and suddenly George is there, sunglasses on his nose and a hand in his pockets, the other waving at Alex. Between the glasses and the mask, his face is mostly hidden but Lando is close enough to see behind the dark barriers that his eyes are red and puffy, features contorted as if he was ready to burst in tears again.

Lando inhaled sharply, now feeling guilty himself for making George get out of his garage when he surely just needed comfort, but the taller Brit slides an arm around his shoulders and presses him closer, until Lando’s hesitation disappear and he throws his arms around George’s waist. They stay like this the whole ceremony, Alex’s attention stolen by his trophy then the champagne he sprays toward the Mercedes drivers, and Lando presses a little closer when he feels George starts shaking against his chest.

"You’re next." He muffled in his shirt, smirking when he feels more than he hears a chuckle following. George doesn’t answer for a minute, before Lando feels his voice resonate against his ear.

"Are you sure ?"

George sounds so desperate, so tired, having passed the level of impatient and so close to the resignation, Lando for once takes his time to think of some good enough word.

"Yeah" he says, his hold a little stronger, "I can’t wait to watch your first podium too."

The sniffing that follows is ignored by both of them as Alex gets down the podium and the crowd starts moving back to their respective garages.

Lando would have stayed there a little longer if it wasn’t for Charlotte popping next to them and pestering him for being late for media duties. He doesn’t even have the time to say something to George that they are already separated.

Much later, when Lando finally gets back in his hotel room as tired as ever, kicking the door closed and changing as fast as possible, he feels drained of all emotions. The day was too long, he just wants to sleep and Carlos, already settled in bed, welcomes his sore body in a strong hug and he groans loudly, finally feeling like the day is over and he can rest.

The Spaniard gently fosses over him, dragging him under the sheet and they hold each other like that, too tired to talk or do anything else anyway.

Lando thinks he is only a couple seconds away from dozing off when his phone loudly vibrates on the night stand where he left it, and he grumpily chases it with one flowing arm.

It’s a simple message from George, and he smiles when he reads "thank you for kicking my butt earlier, can’t wait to get free champagne" and that’s all Lando needs to know George will be okay. He surely has Alex making him promise for a romantic date on the top steps, and his usual strong persona will recover in no time from the race. As for Lando, he knows deserves some attention too, and as Carlos brushes his hair gently, he thinks that he cannot wait for Alex, George and him to get a podium together one day, and he falls asleep on the image of his two friends surrounding him on the official pictures.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, don’t hesitate to leave a comment 💙  
> Tumblr @suckmyballshoney if you want to scream about drivers with me !


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